Los Angeles Pedestrian Accidents Kill Two

By John Bisnar

Jose Francisco Silva, 48, was killed in a Los Angeles pedestrian accident near Dodger Stadium after he was run over by a vehicle that police say ran a red light. The Los Angeles Times reports in a Sept. 29 article that Silva, a resident of Pico Rivera, was crossing Broadway in a marked crosswalk at Bishops Road when he was hit by a vehicle traveling south on Broadway.

The driver did not stop and sped away from the scene, but witnesses describe the hit-and-run vehicle as a white or tan Chevrolet Suburban or Jeep Cherokee. The front of the vehicle reportedly sustained some damage and the windshield may have cracked, LAPD officials say. People who saw Silva get hit by the vehicle said the pedestrian actually was struck two times. The impact from the collision threw Silva to the hood of the car. The vehicle then ran Silva over when he fell onto the pavement.

A second Los Angeles hit-and-run suspect wasn’t as lucky. Police in Van Nuys arrested 18-year-old Joel Morales on suspicion of striking and killing a 59-year-old Van Nuys man. The victim was reportedly crossing Hazeltine Avenue south of Califa Street when he was struck. The man was pronounced dead in an area hospital and Morales was arrested a few hours after the accident.
My heart goes out to the family of Jose Francisco Silva and the Van Nuys pedestrian who was killed. I offer my deepest condolences to both the victims’ families.

The disturbing fact about hit-and-runs is that many drivers who cause these hit-and-run traffic collisions, especially in the Los Angeles area, get away with it. A report last year found that nearly half of all 16,792 traffic collisions in the San Fernando Valley were hit-and-runs. But the LAPD solved only 54 percent of those cases. The same report also found that a majority of hit-and-run drivers are motorists who are driving under the influence, driving without a valid license or those who already have a warrant out for their arrest.

I’m glad that at least one suspect out of these two accidents is in police custody and hope he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The families of Joe Francisco Silva and the Van Nuys victim would be well served by retaining the services of a skilled Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorney. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer will not only go after the hit-and-run suspect financially, but also look into other factors that played a role in the accident.

If I were representing the victims’ families, I would definitely investigate the intersections where these accidents occurred for any dangerous conditions. I would also look at whether these drivers were on the job when the incident occurred. In such cases employers have been held liable for the actions of their employees.

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